Quality tree service — only if you need it

COAST CITIES — They are the some of the largest living things on the planet and they’re always changing. They also make up 15 percent of your property value. What are they? Trees.
The above facts are courtesy of Brian Bishop, owner of Bishop’s Tree Service. Bishop says his business was borne out of a lifelong love of trees, and the quality of service he offers can attest to that.
“When I was a little kid, I thought Paul Bunyon and his ox was the coolest thing ever,” he said. “I wanted to cut trees. When I was 16 I just started cutting trees on my own. Around 1994 I became a certified arborist.” The rest is history.
Today, Bishop’s has a staff of nine, who offer a variety of tree services. Crown cleaning, crown reduction, crown restoration, lifting and raising, thinning, tree removal, stump grinding, line clearance and brush clearance are all offered.
Bishop and his team take pride in what they do. Their bottom line is about saving you money and saving your trees. It’s not about up-selling. “I will tell someone, ‘You don’t need me. The tree’s fine. Come back to me in two years,’” he said. “I’m a tree guy, not a salesman. It’s what I do because I want to do it. The more I can educate people, the more I can do quality tree work. Raising the industry standard.”
As consumers we are used to hearing the phrase, “The customer is always right.” Bishop doesn’t necessarily subscribe to that theory. “When we do estimates, I ask questions. The customer isn’t always right. I give the most inexpensive alternative for long-term management.”
Bishop’s pride in his work and his knowledge come from his years of experience and also his role as president of the Professional Tree Care Association of San Diego, or PTCA. “The mission of PTCA is education,” he said. “Basically the reason I agreed to be president is because I believe in education.”
Bishop also believes in giving back. “We donate work to San Diego Botanic Garden on a regular basis. I believe in giving something back to the community where we can.”
In a community that prides itself on its trees, Bishop’s Tree Service stands out. “The difference between me and a lot of people out there is that out of our nine employees, five are certified arborists. You won’t find that ratio anywhere.” What this means for customers is that you get a certified arborist in your tree. “It takes about 20 minutes to screw up a tree forever.” Bishop stresses the importance of getting the job done right and getting it done right the first time.
For more information on Bishop’s Tree Service, call (760) 720-9649 or visit bishopstreeservice.net.